Smith County, Texas
Above the national median for subprime credit share.
Main Findings
Smith County, Texas ranks 1,052nd most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 30% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) — above the national median of 23%.
- 1,052nd of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Second-most distressed fifth, 127th in Texas.
- 30% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) (U.S. median 23%). Subprime credit share at the 76th percentile nationally.
- Debt in collections at 32% — national median 23%, ranked at the 79th percentile.
- Rent-to-income ratio at 22% — national median 21%, ranked at the 63rd percentile.
- Unemployment at 4% — national median 4%, ranked at the 51st percentile.
Neighbors span three CDI distress fifths. The 17-point drop to Van Zandt County marks where the East Texas pinewoods distress corridor ends.
"Smith County ranks in the second-most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The score is above the national county midpoint, with the domain table showing the local pressure mix."
"The CDI places this county in the second-most distressed fifth nationally. The county sits above the median distress position, with the five-domain profile showing which local pressures carry the score."
The Indicators Behind Smith County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Smith County's value shown alongside TX's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Smith | TX median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 73 · Rank 736 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 7% | 7% | 5% | 69th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 7% | 7% | 5% | 74th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 30% | 32% | 23% | 76th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 67 · Rank 847 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 32% | 35% | 23% | 79th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 137 | 78 | 126 | 55th | US Courts F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 62 · Rank 1,059 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 22% | 22% | 21% | 63rd | HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 20% | 17% | 18% | 60th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 51 · Rank 1,567 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 4% | 4% | 4% | 51st | BLS LAUS (Dec 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 44 · Rank 1,790 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 17% | 22% | 18% | 46th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 13% | 16% | 16% | 24th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 13% | 15% | 14% | 47th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers | 19% | 26% | 27% | 17th | BEA Regional Personal Income (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 17% | 17% | 8% | 92nd | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Business Formation Statistics), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2023 to 2025 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Smith County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 152-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
TYLER, Texas — Smith County ranks 1,052nd among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 59 out of 100 places Smith in the second-most distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 1,051 counties rank more distressed. Within Texas, Smith ranks 127th of 254 counties.
The index, which draws on 16 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies delinquency as the primary driver in Smith. 30% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) — above the national median of 23%.
"Smith County ranks in the second-most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The score is above the national county midpoint, with the domain table showing the local pressure mix," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Smith County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
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How does Smith County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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